This week I got a dose of what parents must go through when naming their children. For months I have called my pieces generic names like “Hymn,” “Tango,” “Intermezzo,” and “Improvisation.” I avoided the subject by saying that these names were only temporary.
Now it is time to commit – and go to print – with final names. I need to publish all this music.
I am nervous. I have been calling my mother daily, asking her for names that were the right balance of distinctive, unconventional, clever, yet concise.
I trust my mom. With a name like Rae, she wasn’t afraid to name me Carter. That takes character – and a love for adventure.
A Hate-Love Relationship
This isn’t to say I didn’t loathe my name when I was young. It rhymes with “farter.” It is the name of a kid’s underwear company, it was the name of the famed President whom many of my friends’ parents criticized, and it was a BOY’S NAME. Yuck.
However, I soon learned to take pride in my name. After all, I assumed it put me next in line to Linda Carter for the role of Wonder Woman (as I proudly displayed to the world in my all-time favorite Halloween costume). I smiled when I heard the incredible cellist Carter Bray. Even though he was male, I still took the shared name to be a good omen. In college, I got into an exclusive cello masterclass presented by a notorious male chauvinist, and when I went to register, they didn’t believe me when I told them I was indeed a woman… hmm. And these days, my name allows me to easily peg solicitors asking for “Mr. Dewberry.” What a way to screen calls!
In the End
Now I wouldn’t trade my name for anything. I understand the value of having a name not easily forgotten or confused. I am just thankful that my parents had the foresight to bestow me with this gift – and the patience to listen to my youthful complaints.
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Ms. Dewberry is celebrating the release of her latest album, “Origins.”
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
